MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Business Council of Alabama today commended the Legislature for final passage of a proposed constitutional amendment that will further cement Alabama’s status as a right-to-work state.

Voting one month ago today, the House passed HB 37 by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham and the Senate today gave final passage to the proposed constitutional amendment. The measure now goes to the Secretary of State for placement on the November general election ballot.

“We thank Representative Mooney and Senator Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, who sponsored the Senate version, for this vital measure that will further encourage job creators to establish a presence in Alabama and to remain and grow the jobs for our citizens,” said BCA President and CEO William J. Canary.

“The House and Senate are to be commended for their forward thinking in order to further protect the thousands of manufacturing and tech jobs that have moved into Alabama from other states,” Canary said.

“The right to join or not join a union and be free of coercive attempts to force unionization is often cited as a hallmark of Alabama’s attraction to every segment of our economy especially manufacturers and suppliers,” he said.

Our right-to-work status played a major role in the decisions of such companies as Airbus and Austal USA to manufacture in Alabama. “Over the last two decades, many businesses that were located in heavily unionized states have moved their operations to Alabama, choosing to locate their facilities in the right-to-work Alabama due to the ability to compete in the global marketplace,” Canary said.

With this amendment, Alabama will remain a business-friendly state. “The BCA strongly supports Alabama’s right-to-work status for its benefits to economic growth, industrial recruitment, and job creation,” he said.

The Business Council of Alabama is Alabama’s foremost voice for business. The BCA is a non-partisan statewide business association representing the interests and concerns of nearly 1 million working Alabamians through its member companies and its partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. BCA is Alabama’s exclusive affiliate to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.